1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting device having a light emitting element, a light guide member, and a wavelength conversion member.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has long been a need for a light emitting device with which color information can be accurately reproduced at high output. The use of light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEDs), laser diodes (hereinafter referred to as LDs), and other such light emitting elements as the light source for such devices has already been proposed (see, for example, WO01/040702).
LEDs and LDs are compact, have good power efficiency, emit light in vivid colors, and eliminate problems such as broken bulbs. In particular, LDs have higher optical density than LEDs, so a light emitting device of higher brightness can be obtained.
Nevertheless, with the LEDs, LDs, and so forth discussed in WO01/040702, when light is emitted from an LED or LD to the outside via a wavelength conversion member, the wavelength conversion member is degraded by heat originating in the light, so that light from the light emitting element can no longer be fully emitted to the outside, or in some cases, the wavelength conversion member becomes discolored and makes the light emitting device unusable, among other such problems.